Shield
by ice shredder
Summary: "You don't have to keep living like this," he said softly, searching her face. "If you continue to run with me it's only going to get more dangerous." Marta shushed him with a finger to his lips. "We've already discussed this. I'm not leaving." Aaron/Marta one-shot. Post Legacy. T for adult situations. Enjoy!


**A/N: Hey guys! I got bored so here's a dose of Aaron/Marta romantic angst. Hope y'all enjoy and don't forget to review! :) Hard T for adult situations at the end. As usual I don't own this awesome franchise or its characters.**

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Three months, twelve days, forty-two minutes and fifty-five seconds.

That's how long Marta Shearing went from a protesting scientist whose colleagues had been gunned down in cold-blood by a monster wearing a lab coat and wire-rim glasses before committing suicide, to becoming a lean toughened survivor.

Three months ago, an Agency D-team tried to force her to shoot herself in the kitchen of her old fixer-upper house. Before she could die, Aaron Cross-Outcome 5-came barreling through the front door and single-handedly took out the would be assassins. In less than it took to blink she was thrust headlong into his blood-soaked, treacherous world, terrified out of her wits, but in order to survive a bond of trust had been forged out of necessity.

Helping Aaron viral off the chems in Manila and watching as he lay feverish and shivering in that seedy motel room only sealed the deal that started with burning down her crappy house. He'd given her a chance to escape and start a new life. But Marta couldn't bring herself to abandon him. Not then and certainly not now. She refused to let him face Byer alone, and besides, were else could she go? With soulless monsters emerging from the shadows hand-crafted by their own US government whose programs grew more and more lethal, only Aaron could shield her from how dangerous the world was becoming for the both of them. In three months he had become her whole world and she his. Even though he didn't say it, she could read it in the minute glances he sent her way. Feel it in the way he made love to her, rough and passionate and unapologetic. And like the glutton she was Marta craved more of his hands and mouth and lips against her skin. When he wasn't inside her, she found herself secretly counting the days until they could get lost in each others warmth to ward off the creeping chill of the cruel world they lived in.

They were currently holed up in Seoul trying to lay low for another couple of days. Though if either of them sensed something was even _remotely_ off, they'd have to go. Byer was still out looking for them and if Manila was anything to go on he was a vengeful, calculating, relentless man who wouldn't stop until they were dead. Even now, Marta could imagine him putting together another special program designed to take them out.

She was running through a program of sit-ups, push-ups and various self-defense moves Aaron had taught her in the middle of yet another flophouse she wouldn't remember the name of in the next day or so. Fear and tension coiled in her gut with every punch and elbow strike. Aaron was supposed to be back twenty minutes ago gathering intel and supplies and he was running late. Sweat trickled down her face as she tried not to think what could've delayed him. If he didn't show in the next fifteen minutes she'd take the gun he'd left on the nightstand and start searching the bustling streets for him, knowing the risk of being caught went up. But Marta didn't care. She couldn't stand to see him hurt in any way. She couldn't live without him and she didn't want to.

Frustrated at the worry seeping into her mind she gave the air a few more half-hearted swipes before collapsing on the bed. Chest heaving she gulped in the stale air, thankful for the metal ceiling fan generating a breeze. Marta lay there for a minute before the need to take a shower prodded her to stand and find fresh clothes. After making sure the gun was loaded and the safety on, she padded to the bathroom and stood under a cool stream, ears tuned to the main door. Listening for the familar five rhythmic knocks that signaled Aaron's presence.

When five minutes passed without a sound her worry morphed to fear. Quickly exiting the single stall Marta dried off and dressed in a loose pair of pants and tank top in record time, not bothering to dry her short brown hair. Tucking the gun in the waistband of her pants she re-emerged carrying her dirty clothes and dropped them onto the floor.

 _Where are you Aaron?_ She sent up a silent prayer to a God she wasn't sure existed. _Keep him safe. Please...bring him back to me-_

At that moment, five knocks sounded and she was across the room in a flash. She yanked the door open to reveal a surprised Aaron laden with supplies and buried her face into his shirt, a choked sob escaping her throat.

"Hey, hey Doc. It's okay." His voice was low and soothing as he moved through the door and shut it dropping the bags on the grainy wooden floor before wrapping strong arms around her shaking shoulders. Internally cursing the ungodly amounts of pedestrian traffic that held him up in several stores and delayed his return. He led her over to the bed and sat down with Marta straddling his lap, holding her close to his chest. "Shh. I'm here."

"You're _late,_ " she said, lifting wet brown eyes to meet his steel blues. "I-I thought something terrible happened to you and I-"

"Hey," Aaron whispered, hands rubbing her back gently. Heart constricting with pain and concern. "Look at me."

Slowly Marta obeyed, peeling her face out of his shirt. Her lips trembled as she fought to hold his gaze.

"You don't have to keep living like this," he said softly, searching her face. "If you continue to run with me it's only going to get more dangerous. That offer I made in Manila still stands-"

Marta shushed him with a finger to his lips.

"We've already discussed this. I'm not leaving."

He stared. "But-"

"Shh. Hear me out Aaron." She closed her eyes and expelled a huge breath. He needed to understand. A normal life for her was out of the question. At this point, she'd gotten so used to him being around 24/7 the thought of Aaron _not_ being there, keeping her safe, teaching her how to become more like _him_ was unbearable. "I can't go back to the way things were. Byer's still out there. I won't let you face him alone. He wants me gone just as badly as you. Besides," she said, threading her fingers through his short dark hair. "I'm already dead." Marta felt her heart break as she watched pain flicker through his eyes and his body stiffen. "I can never go home again. Truth is, I wouldn't last very long on my own. Not without you."

He leaned his forehead against hers, letting their breaths mingle.

"That''s not true," he breathed feeling her chest hitch. "You're a warrior."

"Maybe," she said. "But not like you are. So please. Don't tell me to leave ever again."

He responded by sliding his arms down to cup her waist locking her against his pelvis. Taking this as a sign, Marta closed the distance covering his mouth in a desperate, needy kiss.

Heat furled inside, chasing away her doubts and fears as he began rocking against her, tongue twining with hers, clicking against her teeth. A moan escaped as he traveled down the smooth expanse of her neck leaving marks all over her skin.

Her fingers twisted harder into his hair, tilting her head back to give him easier access, locking his head firmly against her flesh.

"God...Aaron...don't stop..." She gasped whenever she could gulp in some air. "Please...don't ever stop..."

He raised his head and she got lost in the possessive gleam radiating from his blue-grey eyes. Within seconds their clothing was scattered in mindless heaps over the floor.

Marta ran her hands over his powerful chest, over his back, gripped his broad shoulders as Aaron went to work, pleasuring her with his mouth and fingers. She didn't realize until then how much she needed this, the fear of losing him only heightened the pleasure splitting her in half. Right now, in this time and place, Aaron was with her.

Alive.

Strong.

And very much in control.

But she didn't mind.

Marta clutched at Aaron's back, screaming his name as her release hit. He let out a deep growl that sounded like her name as he came inside her, the aftershocks of their shared need scaring them both but wouldn't have it any other way.

Aaron shifted till he was laying on Marta's right, placing himself between her and the door. She smiled as her eyes traced the outline of his bare back illuminated by the street lights outside their window. Their situation was far from ordeal. They'd probably have to move soon. But she knew their actions tonight would make it harder for Aaron to let her go and for that she was glad.

Byer would never stop hunting them. The world she'd known-endless streams of data and new virological breakthroughs-was no more. Running from place to place, staying off the grid, never getting too attached to anything-except Aaron-was her life now. He was all that mattered. Making sure he stayed alive and healthy was top priority and she would fight to the death to protect him. Just as he would do everything in his power to make sure no harm came to her.

She drifted off, lulled to sleep by Aaron's steady breathing.

Marta couldn't lose this man.

They were all each other had.

 **-end**


End file.
